We Had a Promise Made
by crystal-gem-jessie
Summary: She knew he would never accept the feelings of a student, but... He knew he had lines he couldn't cross, but... Sometimes, things aren't so black and white. AyaPin. Spoilers for Chapter 117.


We Had a Promise Made

 **Chapter 1: One Night to Push and Scream - Ayane**

 **AN** : Hi everyone! So, Ch. 117 of Kimi Ni Todoke came out and honestly, I had to write a fic for AyaPin after reading the translations because I'm dying. Spoilers are ahead! You've been warned!

* * *

It was on a snowy Valentine's Day night that Ayane Yano confessed her feelings of love to someone for the first time. It was also the first time that she was completely rejected.

 _Not even a little bit cute, huh?_ She thought as she made tracks in the snow on her way home.

She knew he couldn't really accept her feelings. He was a teacher, after all. It wouldn't be moral for him to have accepted her. Despite his arrogance and idiocy, he was a good guy.

 _Good man_ , she corrected herself. Good men didn't…fraternize with under-aged girls, especially not their under-aged students. She probably wouldn't have fallen in love with a man who would be willing to do that kind of thing.

She really was an idiot, wasn't she? Of course, the first time she ever fell in love, it had to be with someone completely out of her reach.

She let out a sigh and watched her breath crystalize in front of her among the snowflakes. She passed the convenience store where Pin told her to "regret it".

 _The weather's always really bad…when something happens between us_ , she thought while remembering how it was raining that day. She wondered if that was the moment she fell in love with him. Perhaps it was when he held both her hands at the train station and told her she'd be okay. Or maybe it was when he told her to work hard in the teacher's lounge.

 _Maybe…maybe, it started much sooner,_ she thought as her head filled with thoughts of him.

"It's really no good," she said, her hand coming up to her forehead and her cheeks becoming red.

 _I love him, but it's unrequited. I don't think this feeling will go away anytime soon…_

She remembered Chizu, who loved someone older for years and ended up getting rejected as well. What did Chizu do? How did she handle this? Ayane looked back on the events of that time.

 _Ryu was there…_ Ayane thought, _but I don't have someone like Ryu._

Ayane entertained the idea of meeting someone else, of falling in love with someone else. She shook her head.

 _I don't…want to fall in love with anyone else, I want…_

She remembered how Pin looked when he said, "I have faith in you!"

 _Him. I only want him…_ She thought as warm tears pooled in her eyes.

The snow continued to fall softly in the quiet night. Ayane walked home, her cheeks dripping water every couple of steps.

* * *

When Ayane reached her home, she did her best to look as if she hadn't been crying for the past 15 minutes. When she came inside she was welcomed by warm congratulations from her family for passing her exams. She smiled sincerely and thanked them.

After having dinner and a bath, Ayane tried to get some sleep. She had been dreading her bed. She knew she was going to spend the entire night thinking about Pin. She sighed, changed into her pajamas, and climbed into bed.

The events of the evening inevitably replayed themselves in her mind.

" _ **You're 10 years too early!"**_

" _ **Cheers! You did it!"**_

" _ **I was waiting!**_ _ **All day today! The whole time! I was waiting for**_ _ **you**_ _ **to come!"**_

She started crying again. She closed her eyes, but Pin's face was the only thing she saw behind her lids.

… _Idiot. You…idiot! You can't—,_ she thought.

" _ **I have faith in you!"**_

 _You can't…say things like! Otherwise, I'm just…_

" _ **You're kind"**_

 _I'm just gonna fall even more in love with you!_

And eventually, Ayane cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Ayane woke up with swollen eyes and a lump in her throat. She got up and went to her mirror. When she saw her face, all she could do was laugh.

"So, this is what a rejected woman looks like, huh?" she asked her reflection.

She got herself ready for the day and tried to remember her blessings. She was going to her first-choice university. She was going to live in Tokyo, and eventually, she would study abroad. Her dreams were coming true. She allowed herself a smile.

"I'll be okay!" she said to her image in the mirror before applying her lip gloss.

 ** _Bzzt! Bzzt!_**

 **"Hm?" Ayane said as she looked over at her cell phone. She picked it up and saw that Sawako had e-mailed her.**

 ** _Hello, Ayane-chan!_**

 ** _I'm so happy you passed the exams for your first-choice university!_**

 ** _I knew you could do it! ^^_**

 ** _Ayane-chan, when you called me last night, I was really surprised!_**

 ** _I was wondering if you were okay?_**

 ** _Sawako_**

Ayane smiled at her phone. What would she do without Sawako and Chizu for four years? She sighed. She needed to report to them. She decided to e-mail them both.

 ** _Hi,_**

 ** _Thank you both for yesterday._**

 ** _You helped me a lot._**

 ** _If it's not too much trouble, can we meet for a little bit today?_**

 ** _I have something to report about Pin._**

 ** _Sawako, I know you're studying hard for your exams, so I don't want to bother you._**

 ** _Tell me if you can't. Really!_**

 ** _Let me know._**

 ** _Ayane_**

Chizu answered first.

 ** _What?! Pin?! I can meet! I can meet right now!_**

Ayane couldn't help but laugh at her friend. So energetic. Sawako answered quickly after.

 ** _Everyone,_**

 ** _I don't mind meeting, Ayane-chan!_**

 ** _I worked hard yesterday and I'll work hard tonight!_**

 ** _So, I can definitely meet!_**

 ** _Sawako_**

Ayane smiled again, thankful for her friends.

* * *

They decided to meet at Sawako's house to make it more convenient for her. Ayane felt oddly nervous as she approached the residence.

 _Telling them…telling them will make it real,_ she thought.

Still, she entered the house and was greeted kindly by Sawako's mother and father. Ayane made her way up stairs and found Chizu and Sawako sitting around the table in her room.

"Ah, Ayane-Chan!" Sawako said with bright eyes.

"Yano-Chin," Chizu said, as she put an arm around Ayane's neck with a smile, "Way to go! You worked hard!"

"Y-yes! Congratulations Ayane-chan! It's amazing!" Sawako said, also smiling.

"Thank you," Ayane said, smiling back. She and Chizu sat down, and she placed the cakes she brought for them on the table.

Then, Chizu broke into tears.

"WAAAAAHHHH!"

Sawako's face instantly dissolved into panic and Ayane just became stunned.

"Ch-Chizu-Chan! What's wrong?" Sawako said, not sure of what to do.

"Yano-chin is leaving! Ryu is leaving! And Sawako will leave too because she'll definitely pass her exams because she's really smart and I'll be so lonely!" Chizu said, blubbering.

"Chizu-chan…" Sawako started, tears forming in her eyes. Ayane smiled.

"We're not leaving forever. It's just for four years. Think of how fast these three years of high school went" Ayane said. Chizu found a tissue and loudly blew her nose.

"Yeah," she said with a noisy sniff, "How are you always so calm and mature, Yano-chin? You're just like an adult"

At this, Ayane smiled sadly. She leaned her elbow against the table and put her chin in her hand.

"No, I'm not an adult. I'm a kid"

This made the other two stare at her, now both realizing that Ayane probably wasn't here to tell them good news.

"Ayane-chan, you said something in your e-mail…about Arai-sensei?" Sawako asked gently.

Ayane, with the same sad smile, nodded.

"I was rejected. Completely" she said.

Sawako and Chizu were silent. Ayane supposed there was nothing much to say.

"He…took it seriously and acknowledged my feelings properly," Ayane said, then she explained everything. How she meant to tell him that she passed, but chickened out, how Kento encouraged her at the train station, how she ran to Pin's apartment, how Pin had said he'd been waiting all day for her, how she gave him the chocolate, how she confessed, and how he gently, kindly let her down.

Her two friends listened silently. Sawako was crying a little as Ayane finished.

"Then, I…I got a little arrogant and asked him if he ever thought I was even a little bit cute. He told me 'no way!' It really was a complete failure" Ayane said with a laugh, but tears threatened her eyes.

Then, a suddenly dark aura came over the room. Ayane looked at Sawako who had an especially scary face on as tears cascaded down her face.

"Arai-sensei…Arai-sensei!"

Ayane and Chizu both looked on at her in fear.

 _Is she casting a spell on him?!_ They both thought.

"Arai-sensei is a—is a liar!" Sawako said in a voice louder than usual for her.

"Sa-Sawako, calm down—" Ayane started.

"No! I won't! I know Arai-sensei is a teacher and there are certain things he can't do even if he wants to, but—but—"

"Huh?" Chizu and Ayane both asked.

"But there's no way he _never_ thought you were cute, Ayane-chan! It's not possible! Because any time that Ayane-chan talks about Arai-sensei, she-she's so cute I feel as if my heart will explode! I bet Ayane-Chan was so cute when she confessed that there's no way that Arai-sensei didn't think so too! There's no way! Arai-sensei is definitely a liar!" Sawako said, overcome with tears.

Ayane listened to her in stunned silence. She had no idea what to make of such a declaration.

"Yano-chin, now that I think about it, you're totally that useless guy's type. So, I bet Sawa is right! Even if he couldn't return your feelings, I bet he definitely thought you were cute!" Chizu said, also starting to cry.

At this, Ayane started laughing uncontrollably. Chizu and Sawako looked at her, both calming down after seeing the odd scene.

"Yano-chin, are you okay?" Chizu asked. Ayane continued to laugh with tears in her eyes.

"I was right to come here. I knew, without a doubt, you'd make me feel better! I'm really gonna miss you, you idiots!" Ayane said and her two best friends quickly embraced her in a tear-soaked hug.

 _I'll definitely be okay,_ she thought, _as long as I have these two._

* * *

 **AN:** First chapter done! I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update since I'm in grad school and have two jobs, but I'll do my best! "Work hard, Jessie-Chan!" or something…

It's pretty angsty and sad now (like all my fics, if I'm honest), but happier times will come! You gotta earn that happy ending.

Title and chapter titles are from "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez.

Next chapter: Graduation and an AyaPin encounter!


End file.
